Writing and Remission
Total immersion mastery, reaching for the words to begin again

Mastery is extending the hand, over and over, after starting, after stopping, after uncertainty, after success, after doubt. Reaching out to begin again.
Welcome to Writer In The World, a curated collection of essays on the writing life by acclaimed MFA faculty and alumni. This is the Wednesday section of MFA Lore.
Other sections include Metaphortography, a quick dose of visual and literary inspiration that posts each Monday to launch your writing week. Writers in Conversation and other MFA Lore essays on the craft and business of creative writing drop each Saturday.
You can join our community and subscribe to some or all of these sections for 90 days FREE with this special WITW offer:
High Five*
by Cate
I’ve always liked the number five. It brings up an early memory of sitting at the kitchen table with my parents. Dad was showing me how to draw the number on a piece of paper. “See, there’s this guy, and he leaves his house and goes straight down the st…





